The Heart of the Dungeon
by MechBoyOfDoom
Summary: A new world is calling, but the events there are far from right. Follow Sora, Kairi and Riku as they live the new life forced upon them: a life of servituide to the Keeper so feared, he can make even the Horned Reaper back down. Rated T for violence/minor gore in later chapters


**Author's Notes: Here's one of the reasons why Dissidia Arcanum is going so slowly.**

**The insiration came one gloomy day when I was watching a number of Dungeon Keeper videos on youtube.  
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**I won't say more than that. the story explains itself.  
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**Neither Kingdom Hearts or Dungeon Keeper is owned by me.  
**

* * *

"Are you sure this is the place?" Sora asked, looking skeptically out of the gummi ship's cockpit at the unknown world.

"This is where the message came from. It's still being emitted even now." Riku replied, shrugging.

Sora frowned for a moment then turned to look at Kairi, who was sleeping peacfully, while snuggling into him. The frown instantly turned to a content smile but Riku already caught what Sora was thinking.

Talking the crontrols himself he began the usual decent to the world, "You're coming with me, Sora. Might as well wake Kairi too. It was her idea to seek out the source of this after all." He grinned

Sora blinked then looked to Kairi again laying a hand on her shuolder and saying, "Kairi. We're here."

At hearing his voice the girl slowly woke up and smiled, "Thanks for waking me Sora," She eventually said then looked at the world they were approaching. It looked like a medievil setting, with valiant heroes entering a dungeon, only to be ruthlessly slaughtered by all manner of evil creatures.

Little did they know, that the winners of that fight were about to be their new allies.

"Keeper. Three new creatures have just entered your dungeon." A clearly evil, yet wise voice sounded.

* * *

The addressed being stood up and walked over to the observation pool behind him to watch as two male beings, and a female being, clambered up and out of the portal that his current minions had once entered from, "It's the ones that I sent the message to," A male voice eventually sounded from the purple robed 'Keeper'.

"They are the ones that have power enough to rival me!" A demonic voice demanded, "They have no muscles at all! I wouldn't be surprised if Maelstrom could crack them like twigs with his staff!"

The Keeper's blue eyes were now suddenly boreing into the yellow eyes of the demon, "YOU DARE QUESTION ME HORNED REAPER? THE VERY KEEPER THAT HAS TURNED THE WORLD INTO THE PERFECT HELL HOLE!" He bellowed, his eyes flashing with anger and malevolence.

The Horned Reaper took a firey step back, "I was merely stating my opinion." Came the demon's reply.

The Keeper did not look away, changing the view of the observation pool away from the three newcomers, who were only talking at the portal, to the hatchery and reached in to literally slap a chicken so hard it exploded in a puff of feathers, causing the nearby Warlock to suddenly jump in surprise and then mutter a few words of praise about the keeper.

Under the unflinching gaze of the keeper the demon took another step back, only to be told, "If I had wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it. Now remind me why you have, on three occasions, failed to eliminate the targets you were told to!"

The Horned Reaper blinked, and seemed to gain an embarrassed look, "I got distracted."

"By your the Dark Mistresses of your Keeper the first time... the second by a rival keeper's hatchery." The wise and evil voice added.

The Keeper folded his arms, "I see. I guess Horny is a good nickname for you after all. Mentor. Ensure Horny gets a suitable punishment for failing me." With that the demon literally disappeared in a puff of smoke, looking scared.

* * *

Sora, Riku and Kairi had been talking about what kind of world they could be in. A number of beings had passed them, paying them no mind despite Sora's original thoughts that soime of them would attack them.

Then a black haired male with a goatee, wearing purple robes and carrying a wizard's staff, approached them asking, "Are you the newcomers here?"

Riku turned and nodded, "Yeah. What about it?"

"I am Maelstrom the Warlock. My Lord Keeper has tasked me with filling you in on the domain he crafted," Maelstrom replied, "Come my friends."

Kairi hid behind Sora as he asked, "Why are you working with demons?"

The warlock tilted his head then shrugged, "Many of the beings in this dungeon, the domain of Keeper Williams into which you have entered, are all shunned by the Overworld. It is the Lord Keeper's desire that we work together, and thus we obey him."

Riku folded his arms, "Sounds like you got the short end of the stick then."

Maelstrom laughed, "Quite the contrary, my friend. The Lord Keeper allows all warlocks unhindered access to the dungeon library. And through my research, and the research of my fellow Warlocks, and a couple of Vampires at one point, we discovered and later improved many traps, doors and spells for him to use as he wishes. None of those who serve The Lord Keeper go hungry either, even the eternally hungry Bile Demons. And the many Lairs he has constructed have the most soothingly evil atmosphere."

This last comment unnerved the trio so the worlock added, "The Lord Keeper warned me about your views on those who's serve him but, as you entered this domain through a portal that is owned by him you're bound to serve him." A number of diminuative creatures ran by, speaking to each other in high pitched voices. Sora looked confused at them, especially their pure black eyes and strange speech, "Those are Imps, my friend. Lord Keeper's work force. As he is the one that supplies this dungeon with the mana needed for their survival, they work tirelessly for him, mining out gold and gem deposits so his other servants can get paid, and mining out areas for new rooms. Normally Lairs, Hatcheries and the occasional Casino. They also claim the land around his domain to expand it for him."

Riku blinked, "They don't look all that strong."

"Aye, that's true. But they're able to carry and mine better than even the dwarves." He spat into the portal, "Filthy things those dwarves are. I've had to kill quite a number in my time here."

"Hail, Maelstrom!" a flirty female voice called, the owner was wearing a lot less than a decent woman would and appeared the kind that was into the kinds of things that was purely for behind closed doors and the strong of heart. Her purple hair was tied into a ponytail and her right hand has a set of combat claws attatched to it. Her entire outfit was black.

Maelstrom looked away from the female, "Hail, Dominique. What do you want from me this time."

The female looked at the Warlock and sighed, before her gaze reached Riku, "I think I've just seen someone more worthy of what I wanted. What do you say big bo-" She was interrupted as a large hand promptly struck her with a sharp backhanded slap that she appeared to enjoy. Then a voice sounded, "Dominique. Why have you abandoned your duties? I ordered you to make sure those heroes do as I say. They still resist, now tell me why."

She blinked, "I was hungry." Then she realized who was speaking and added, "Lord Keeper." She realized this wasn't enough to please the voice when she was slapped again, "I get the hint, Master! I'll head back now!" She called then turned and ran.

Maelstrom had cringed both times Dominique had been slapped, "That is what the servanbts suffer if their work is substandard, too slow, or they've abandoned their duty. I've ensured I have given The Lord Keeper no reason to do such to me, but I have heard that those who do suffer it normally suffer a bad injury as well. It appears that only the Dark Mistresses like Dominique like being slapped."

Kairi had a look of disgust, "She wears that daily?"

"It's my understanbding that she never takes it off. The Dark Mistresses are people who's love of pain agony and torture would mean the Overworld would oust them if they tried to fit in. They're all masochists." Maelstrom laid his free hand on Riku's shoulder, "And if she tired to come onto you again, take The Lord Keeper's example and slap her. It always gets her in a state where even a Bile Demon could escape her."

"Bile Demon?" Riku inquired. As if on cue an obese demon, that appeared to have no legs and flails attatched to it's massive horns, passed by, bringing the smell of rancid farts with it. The three Keyblade Wielders had to wrinkle their noses to avoide the most of the smell until Maelstrom cast a spell on the three to make it so the smell never reached them, "Those are Bile Demons." The warlock explained, "They're good manufactors and powerful fighters... shame about their smell."

Riku rolled his eyes. He knew they were in for one hell of a time here... and he wasn't looking forward to working against the forces of light again.

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**A/N: And so does this adventure begin!**

**Reviews are welcome, I not only read them all but will reply to them somehow!  
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